As warmer weather approaches, the need for a dark hearty porter tends to diminish. So Backshore Brewing Co.’s Darth Porter won’t be available much longer.

But the beer, the first porter the brewery produced, has been popular with visitors in its limited time on the tap.

“In the cold weather, people tend to drink the heavier beers instead of being out in the sunshine when you want something light you can drink all day long,” said Backshore owner Danny Robinson. “In the winter, people camp inside the brewery where it’s warm and drink a little slower. They can afford a heavier beer.”

At 5.2 percent alcohol by volume and 31 IBU, the drinker will get more of a roasty hint from the malts, rather than the hops, and a mouth-feel that is a bit thicker than the average beer, Robinson said.

Robinson said reception of the beer has been positive, to the point where it will be a foundation for the future. The brewery also came out with a peanut butter porter called Dark Peanut, which drew rave reviews.

“That’s our standard and we’ll just base it on that,” he said. “If we want something darker, then we know which way to lean, using that as the standard for all the porters we’re going to make in the future.”

The name Darth Porter came from a combination of one of Backshore’s bartender’s affinity for “Star Wars” and Robinson’s fandom of the movie “Spaceballs,” which has a character named Darth Helmet. The tap at the brewery features a black handle with a Darth Vader bobblehead head on it.

As the beer is a limited release, Robinson said Darth Porter should be available at the 10th Street brewery through April.

Know a local brew you’d like to see featured in the Brew Corner? Contact Jon Bleiweis at jbleiweis@gannett.com.